So I'd really like to play a drow rogue or warlock, but the Sunlight Sensitivity thing really seems like it'd be a big pain.
Are there any feats/magic items/spells that would help counteract Sunlight Sensitivity or mitigate it in any way?
- House rule. Drop the racial magic, drop the sensitivity. Or drop something else instead, since the spells are fairly iconic. The sensitivity balances out other bonuses.
- What's a drow rogue doing out in the sunlight? Make sure the character fits the campaign. If you'll be playing underground, indoors, or at night often, then that penalty will only occasionally crop up, and you can deal with it. It adds character flavor.
- Have a lot of options that don't involve you rolling. Save-based (as opposed to attack-roll-based) spells are your friend. As well as things like Armor of Agathys. Warlock will be better at this than a rogue.
- Speaking if which, the Darkness spell + Devil's Sight is a popular warlock trick that will get you out of the sunlight. Okay it with the party first.
- House rule again. Invent a feat or magic item that will counter the disadvantage. And give you something else, preferably, since that's fairly small on its own.
- Ask the DM if you can wear some cool sunglasses.
Macv12 wrote:
The drow spell-like abilities are about equivalent to a feat. I imagine a fair trade would be to make Daylight Adaptation a feat. Personally for flavour reasons I'd also then reduce their Superior Darkvision.
Daylight Adaptation (Drow Racial Feat)
Through training and exposure your eyes have adapted to seeing in the brightly lit environments, somewhat reducing your ability to see in the dark.
- You no longer suffer from disadvatage on percepeption checks and attack rolls in bright light.
- Your superior dark vision (120') is reduced to normal darkvision (60'),
Or, cut the spells and sensitivity, and homebrew a feat with slightly better spells, a la the Smurfneblin (or w/e) feat from Elemental Evil. You get the drow spells once per long rest, as well as an at-will component-less spell. Web, Spider Climb, or Levitate, perhaps. Balance it against that feat and Magic Initiate. Say that your history of operating both above and below ground has given you superhero levels of eye dilation when needed, but at the expense of letting your magic atrophy.
Burning a feat to lose a penalty isn't as satisfying as spending one to earn a bonus. I would be especially disappointed if my feat actually made me weaker than vanilla whenever I was out of the sunlight.
I introduced a feat that sunlight sensitive characters could take in my campaign. It didn't have the reduction in darkvision range and also gave a +1 stat bonus to players choice of Cha or Int. This might seem overpowered to people but feats in 5th ed. are supposed to be more powerful than in 3.5 (e.g. Daylight Adaptation). In 5th a single feat gives several abilities - i.e. is a a combination of previous feats that made up a tree, to a certain extent at least. Do people think this is too powerful or the reduction in darkvision range should also apply? I also allowed characters (including non-humans like Drow) to take this at first level in place of the magic abilities as an alternate Drow.
Glimjack wrote:
- Be a moon druid.
- Be a caster
RCanine wrote:
Just accept it. Sunlight Sensitivity isn't that bad, since it only involves direct sunlight. Ask your DM to be a bit more precise on the weather and be sure to remember, that in woods, small alleys, etc. won't be direct sunlight.
As a warlock, you should take a save cantrip, to be sure.
If you want to play a drow, live with all their features. ;)
NoGravitas wrote:
Where're my ~@#$ goggles at ?!
Macv12 wrote:
awaken_D_M_golem wrote:
Ask your DM why the Drow in his game are sensitive to sunlight. That is, what actually happens to them when they are exposed to it?
Does it just make their eyes hurt? Goggles, problem solved. What if it makes his skin itch something fierce? Maybe all you need is to wear a hood, gloves, and long sleeved shirts.
What if it's a purely psychological thing? The DM may allow you to overcome the sensitivity after X amount of time spent outside the Underdark.
In my setting, their sensitivity is magical in nature, and cannot be bypassed by any means.
Greenstone.Walker wrote:
Greenstone.Walker wrote:
I feel differently. If you want to play a drow, then play a drow. IIRC they have had sunlight sensitivity since they first appeared, its part of what makes them Drow.
To me, playing a drow without the sensitivity is like playing a halfling that is 6' tall.....